(Berlin) - Trains with fuel cell drives are to be put on the rails in the Berlin-Brandenburg metropolitan region. Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn AG (NEB) has now ordered seven two-part Mireo Plus H trains from Siemens Mobility GmbH for the Heidekrautbahn (RB27) network.
This is the first series order for a train fleet with hydrogen technology for Siemens. The delivery date is autumn 2024, and the vehicles should be on the network from December.
1,7 megawatts of drive power
The second generation Mireo Plus H has a drive power of 1,7 megawatts for an acceleration of up to 1,1 meters per square second (m/s²). The maximum speed is 160 kilometers per hour. 
The trains offer passengers free Wi-Fi, displays for real-time passenger information, a designated family area and two multi-purpose areas for strollers, wheelchairs and up to 12 bicycles, the company said.
The railcars will be equipped with three doors on each side, which will “enable passengers in wheelchairs or with strollers to get in and out easily, even on lower platforms.” The order to Siemens Mobility also includes a service and spare parts supply contract for ten years until 2034, as well as maintenance, servicing and repair activities.
The use of hydrogen vehicles on the Heidekrautbahn is part of a scientifically supported pilot joint project funded by the federal government and the states of Berlin and Brandenburg. The aim is to build a regional, sustainable hydrogen infrastructure, which also includes a hybrid power plant and a tank system.
Hydrogen saves 1,1 million liters of diesel every year
The entire train operation on the RB27 should be carried out exclusively with renewable and regionally generated energy. The switch from diesel to hydrogen on the Heidekrautbahn saves 1,1 million liters of diesel annually. However, it was not stated what costs the ongoing operation with the new energy source would cause.
The joint project was funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure with around 2021 million euros in May 25. Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn AG, whose subsidiary NEB Betriebsgesellschaft mbH operates trains on the Heidekrautbahn (RB27) and ten other regional railway lines in seven Brandenburg districts, is taking part in the pilot project, as is the wind and solar park operator Enertrag SE, and the district's own group Kreiswerke Barnim GmbH (KWB ), the district-owned Barnimer Busgesellschaft mbH (BBG), the Berlin-Brandenburg Transport Association (VBB) as well as the hydrogen and storage research center of the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg and the German Aerospace Center e. V. (DLR), which provides scientific support for the pilot project.
Test operation also at Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG and Siemens Mobility presented the design and the first elements of the Mireo Plus H in May. The two-part vehicle therefore has a range of 800 kilometers. A three-part variant coming onto the market later is expected to cover 1.000 kilometers.
Next year, the Mireo Plus H will begin test operation for Deutsche Bahn in Baden-Württemberg. As in Brandenburg, the vehicle will also be used for regular passenger service from 2024, but initially only for one year. It will then replace a diesel multiple unit running there between Tübingen, Horb and Pforzheim.
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Design study: The Mireo H Plus is scheduled to be on the NEB network in autumn 2024. © Siemens Mobility
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The Mireo Plus H on the Heidekrautbahn. © NEB/Christian Bedeschinski/Siemens Mobility
